Food blogs we love: Dulce Delight

Who’s blogging: I’m Raiza Costa, a young artist and pastry chef originally from Brazil that likes to be creative. I believe in the power of a Good Morning said out loud and in showing respect for the people who serve me in a restaurant. I created my blog Dulce Delight to host fun video tutorials along with my own recipes and photos in an attempt to inspire and influence people to see food differently in the pastry world. I have a degree in fine arts and my fascination for everything sugar not only comes from the satisfying taste of it but the aesthetic of it as well. In my opinion there are different ways to make your dessert amazing and beautiful without using food coloring or boxed cake mixes, and it’s my pleasure to share my passion for dessert.

Explain your blog name:Dulce Delight is a pun with the word Dulce de Leche (South American caramel). The name combines my roots, my playful soul and my love for dessert.

Blogging since: I’ve been blogging since 2010.

Blogger Raiza Costa at home in her kitchen.

Blogging from: Brooklyn, which in my opinion is one of the most multicultural places on earth. The sense of community here is extremely unique and it fascinates me. I love to use products made here and sold here; it’s amazing to know and support the people around me.

What you’ve learned about food while blogging: I’ve learned that food brings people together to create a sense of community that is hard to find these days. I’ve also learned that the decisions you make in cooking can really have an impact. For example, if I encourage “meals in 10 minutes,” then the next generation may not have the ability to appreciate a complex, layered meal. If I buy inexpensive chocolate, I may not be aware that maybe children are working to collect that cacao to provide me that underpriced product. I just feel that we’ve arrived at a point where soon we may not appreciate food as we used to. The world we create today is the world our children will live in tomorrow, and I want my kids to appreciate the time spent in the kitchen to create something delicious and I want them to feel sympathy for someone who might have made 10 cents an hour to provide cacao to make the chocolate used in a soufflé. With food I’ve learned that it’s important to think outside the box and to create deep meaningful connections with your choices. When you want everything fast, you forget to appreciate the present.

Where do you get inspiration for your posts? I’m inspired by classic French cuisine, Brooklyn, Brazil, the 50s, pictures and books. I’m a very graphic person and sometimes I create recipes inspired by a drawing I did on my notebook. I actually don’t own many recipe books, with just a few technical books to help improve my skills. I play with memories, tastes I like. Shortcuts are never an inspiration to me, because I like to create really amazing pastries just like the ones you see in a patisserie shelf.

What have you learned from blogging? From blogging I’ve learned to focus, to develop dedication and patience. You only succeed with focus and with real passion for what you are blogging about. Starting a blog with money and fame in mind is a bit immature. When you blog, you open a channel with who you really are and your own references about the world and this gives you the ability to inspire people. We are always so busy doing what other people wants us to do, that blogging works as an escape to a place where you can connect with your dinner self.

Where else can we find you online? You can find me on YouTube, Pinterest and Facebook, where I share a bit more about my private life. Starting this spring, I also intend to share my pastries under the Manhattan Bridge Overpass as a way to get to know people over a piece of cake and a good story. I’m just fascinated by people!

What are your favorite food blogs? I love one Brazilian blog called Come-se that’s really exciting because its author tests recipes with ingredients so exotic that we barely know of their existence. I also love Friottes and Like a Strawberry Milk, that are almost diaries about food and inspiration.